Swollen Inner Cheek : Causes and Home Treatment

Swollen inner cheeks are common, and it can be due to several factors. It can be because a small lesion was invaded by a type of bacteria, causing an infection. This condition can be very uncomfortable, and it can affect one’s appetite as well.

- Inner cheeks can swell due to a blunt trauma, a type of physical trauma acquired by either an impact or physical attack. Damage to the tissues surrounding the area of injury causes inflammation. The patient then exhibits a swollen cheek with hematoma formation (discoloration of the injured area) due to the improper flow of blood in that area.
- As mentioned earlier, an infection may cause the inner cheek to swell; it is considered to be the primary cause of its inflammation and swelling. It may be caused by an overgrowth of the normal flora inside an injured area situated at the inner cheek. This makes the body react through inflammation and swelling. It signals that something has breached the patient’s immune system.
- Abscesses may form if not treated promptly. An infection of the gums may also cause the inner cheek to become inflamed and swollen.
- A malignancy can cause the inner cheek to swell.
Lymph nodes are affected, and based on its anatomical position (Preauricular, Tonsilar, and Submandibular lymph nodes), it can cause swelling at the cheek area. Oral cancers are associated with alcohol and tobacco use which, if used together, have synergistic carcinogenic effects.
- Ailments like mumps and lymphadenitis may also make the patient’s inner cheeks swell. These conditions shall be attended as soon as it is experienced by the patient to keep complications from happening.

Swollen Inner Cheek Treatment

Treatment for swollen inner check depends on the cause of the condition. It would be best to know the causative factor first to be able to identify which intervention would be greatly beneficial for the patient.

- If swelling is due to ulcers from accidental biting of the inner cheek, the patient can treat it with a gargle made of sodium bicarbonate and water at home. Regular oral care may contribute to the healing process as it washes away or halts the bacterial growth or may halt further bacterial growth occurring within the confines of the mouth.
- Infections are normally treated with antibiotics and allergies may be treated with antihistamines. Natural antibiotics, such as Echinacea, have been largely implicated in swollen inner cheek treatments.